Structure for supporting an instrument panel by a defroster nozzle

ABSTRACT

A structure for supporting an instrument panel by a defroster nozzle whereby sufficient rigidity can be imparted to the top of the instrument panel. A supporting member is attached to an upper wall of the defroster nozzle arranged inside the instrument panel and is disposed in contact with the instrument panel on the surface one another to support same.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.119(a) on Patent Application No. 2002-375218 filed in Japan on Dec. 25,2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a supporting structure for aninstrument panel of a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to astructure for supporting an instrument panel by a defroster nozzle.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] An automotive air conditioner provides a comfortable environmentfor occupants of the vehicle in all climatic and driving conditions,prevents fogging and frosting of the windshield etc. to secure thedriver's range of vision, and also permits safe and comfortable driving,and thus most of motor vehicles are equipped with an air conditioner.The air conditioner is usually arranged in the vehicle body at alocation under an approximately central portion of the instrument panel,and conditioned air is guided through an air duct arranged inside theinstrument panel and let out from vents located in the vehiclecompartment. Also, a defroster is provided for eliminating fogging ofthe windshield and adapted to eject warm air toward the inside of thewindshield from thereunder, thus removing fogging of the inside of thewindshield.

[0006] The air conditioned by the air conditioner flows up toward thevents while pushing the ceiling wall of the air duct upward, and thusthe joint between the inlet of the air duct and the air outlet maypossibly become separated, causing leakage of the air. To prevent this,an air conditioner air duct has been proposed wherein the air ductarranged inside the instrument panel is provided with a rib, as anabutment, which is disposed in contact with the inside surface of thetop of the instrument panel (see Unexamined Japanese Patent PublicationNo. H08-118942 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1), forexample).

[0007] The instrument panel is arranged along the overall width of thedriver's and front passenger's seats of the vehicle, and a front endportion thereof extends to the bottom of the windshield and is providedwith an opening for a defroster nozzle. Usually, the instrument panel isa resin molded article and has a reinforced structure such that theinstrument panel is supported at its front portion by a deck crossmember through brackets, supported at its rear portion by bracketsextended downward from the deck cross member, and supported at its bothsides by front pillars. However, the offset of the central portion ofthe instrument panel from the deck cross member is large, giving rise toa problem that the central portion is liable to be bent or warpedbecause of its low rigidity. Especially in the case of a wide deck typeinstrument panel having an increased dimension between its front andrear ends, the rigidity of the central portion is noticeably low.

[0008] A rib may be formed on the inside surface (underside) of theinstrument panel near the central portion thereof so that the centralportion may be supported by the air duct etc. of the air conditionerlocated under the instrument panel. If such a rib is formed on theinside surface of the instrument panel, however, a problem arises inthat a sink mark may appear on the outside surface of the instrumentpanel, impairing the appearance. Also, in the case where there is aconsiderable distance (large space) between the instrument panel and theair duct etc., the rib needs to be lengthened, which leads to poormoldability. Further, in the case of the structure disclosed in PatentDocument 1 wherein the air conditioner air duct is provided with a ribwhich is disposed in contact with the inside surface of the top of theinstrument panel, not only the moldability is poor but a wide areacannot be secured for supporting the instrument panel. With thisstructure, it is difficult to increase the rigidity of the top of, inparticular, a wide deck type instrument panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a structure forsupporting an instrument panel by a defroster nozzle capable ofimparting sufficient rigidity to the top of the instrument panel.

[0010] The present invention provides a structure for supporting aninstrument panel, comprising: a defroster nozzle arranged inside theinstrument panel; and a supporting member disposed on an upper wall ofsaid defroster nozzle and contacts with the instrument panel on thesurface one another to support the instrument panel.

[0011] Thus, sufficient rigidity can be imparted to the top of theinstrument panel, thereby effectively preventing bending or warping ofthe top of the instrument panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of adefroster nozzle used in an instrument panel supporting structureaccording to the present invention; and

[0013]FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will behereinafter described in detail with reference to the drawings which aregiven by way of illustration only.

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a defroster nozzle used in aninstrument panel supporting structure according to the presentinvention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II inFIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the defroster nozzle 1 comprisesthree members, that is, a defroster nozzle front member 2, a defrosternozzle rear member 3, and a defroster nozzle supporting member 4 as amember for reinforcing an instrument panel 6. The defroster nozzle frontmember 2 has a front wall 2 a located on one side of the defrosternozzle 1 closer to the front of a vehicle body, and a lower wall 2 bcontinuous with the front wall. The defroster nozzle rear member 3 hasan upper wall 3 a and right and left side walls 3 b, 3 b continuous withthe upper wall. The front and rear members are combined to form an airduct.

[0016] Specifically, the air duct 5 (FIG. 2) is defined by the frontwall 2 a and lower wall 2 b of the defroster nozzle front member 2 andthe upper wall 3 a and both side walls 3 b of the defroster nozzle rearmember 3. The air duct 5 branches off into front defroster nozzles 5 a,5 a opening upward and side defroster nozzles 5 b, 5 b opening sidewayson the right and left sides, respectively. The lower wall 2 b of thedefroster nozzle front member 2 and the upper wall 3 a and side walls 3b of the defroster nozzle rear member 3 have flanges 2 c and 3 cprotruding from their respective lower edges to be connected to an airduct of an air conditioner.

[0017] The defroster nozzle front member 2 also has flanges 2 d, asjoint faces, protruding from peripheral edges of the lower wall 2 bthereof, and assembling bosses 2 e are formed on the flanges 2 d.Assembling bosses 2 e are also formed on an inside surface of the upperportion of the front wall 2 a so as to be oriented in the samedirection. A plurality of, for example, four mounting portions 2 f formounting the defroster nozzle 1 to the vehicle body protrude integrallyfrom the front wall 2 a of the defroster nozzle front member 2.

[0018] The defroster nozzle rear member 3 has flanges 3 d protrudingfrom peripheral edges of lower portions of the side walls 3 b thereof,as joint faces corresponding to the flanges 2 d of the defroster nozzlefront member 2, and mounting holes 3 e for receiving the respectiveassembling bosses 2 e are formed in the flanges 3 d. A front end portionof the upper wall 3 a is curved upward and has mounting holes 3 e formedtherein for receiving distal ends of the respective assembling bosses 2e. Also, mounting portions 3 f for mounting the defroster nozzle 1 tothe vehicle body protrude integrally from both sides of the upper wall 3a. The assembling bosses and mounting holes for joining the defrosternozzle front and rear members 2 and 3 together may be formed such thateither of the flanges 2 d and 3 d are provided with the assemblingbosses and the other with the mounting holes. In the case where theassembling bosses 2 e are formed on the flanges 2 d of the defrosternozzle front member 2, the assembly of the defroster nozzle supportingmember 4 is facilitated, as described later.

[0019] The defroster nozzle supporting member 4 has a pair of supports 4a each having a rectangular external form. Each support 4 a is in theform of a box opening downward and having an upper surface (bottom) 4 d.Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the defroster nozzle 1 is bifurcatedright and left along the width direction of the vehicle, and thesupports 4 a are arranged on the bifurcated right and left portions ofthe defroster nozzle 1, respectively, with a space therebetween. Thesupports 4 a are connected to each other by a connecting part 4 bcontinuous with lower edges of the respective rear walls.

[0020] Right and left sides of the connecting part 4 b are continuouswith lower edges of outer side walls of the right and left supports 4 a,respectively, thus forming flanges 4 c. The defroster nozzle supportingmember 4 is placed on a central portion of the upper wall 3 a of thedefroster nozzle rear member 3. Specifically, the connecting part 4 band the flanges 4 c are shaped so as to match the shape of the upperwall 3 a, and the supports 4 a are supported at their lower ends by theupper wall 3 a in contact therewith.

[0021] The height of the supports 4 a from the upper wall 3 a of thedefroster nozzle rear member 3 to their upper surfaces 4 d is set to aheight which is necessary for the supports 4 a to come into contact withand support the inside surface of a central portion 6 a of theinstrument panel 6. Because of the box-like shape, the supports 4 a haveincreased rigidity and permit the areas of the upper surfaces 4 d to beenlarged, thus making it possible to contact with inside surface of thecentral portion 6 a of the instrument panel 6 on the surface one anotherwith a large contact area to support the instrument panel 6. Further,the box-like shape permits the supports 4 a to be increased in heightwhile ensuring sufficient rigidity, and accordingly, the defrosternozzle can be easily applied to vehicles having a long distance (largespace) between the defroster nozzle and the instrument panel 6. Thedefroster nozzle supporting member 4 is molded separately from thedefroster nozzle rear member 3, and it is therefore possible to preventthe formation of a sink mark, which appears on the surface of thedefroster nozzle rear member 3 when the two members are molded as aone-piece member.

[0022] The connecting part 4 b and the flanges 4 c have mounting holes 4f, 4 g and 4 h formed therein. The central mounting hole 4 f is acircular hole which also serves as positioning means for restraining thesupporting member from being displaced to the front or the rear or tosides. The mounting holes 4 g located on both sides of the central holeare each an elongate hole elongated sideways, and the mounting holes 4 hin the flanges 4 c are circular holes slightly larger than the mountinghole 4 f. Support-mounting bosses 3 h are formed on the upper wall 3 aof the defroster nozzle rear member 3 at locations corresponding to themounting holes 4 f, 4 g and 4 h, respectively, and are oriented in adirection identical with that of the assembling bosses 2 e. The mountinghole 4 f can receive the corresponding support-mounting boss 3 h, andthe mounting holes 4 g can receive the corresponding support-mountingbosses 3 h even if the bosses are slightly displaced to sides. Themounting holes 4 h can receive the corresponding support-mounting bosses3 h even if the bosses are slightly displaced to the front or the rearor to sides. In this manner, displacement of the support-mounting bosses3 h relative to the respective mounting holes 4 f to 4 h of thedefroster nozzle supporting member 4 can be absorbed, whereby theassembly of the defroster nozzle supporting member 4 is facilitated.Also, the mounting hole 4 f, which also serves as positioning means,permits the supporting member 4 to be accurately positioned and mountedto the upper wall 3 a of the defroster nozzle rear member 3.

[0023] The defroster nozzle front member 2, the defroster nozzle rearmember 3 and the defroster nozzle supporting member 4 are formed at thesame time by molding resin in a single mold (3-cavity type). Suchsimultaneous formation by means of a single mold makes it possible toreduce mold costs. Also, since the defroster nozzle supporting member 4is formed as a separate member, the shape thereof can be changed asdesired and the freedom of layout widens.

[0024] The flanges 2 d and 3 d of the defroster nozzle front and rearmembers 2 and 3, which constitute the joint faces, are brought intocontact with each other, with the assembling bosses 2 e inserted intothe respective mounting holes 3 e. Also, the defroster nozzle supportingmember 4 is placed on the upper wall 3 a of the defroster nozzle rearmember 3, with the support-mounting bosses 3 h inserted into therespective mounting holes 4 f to 4 h. Then, the distal ends of theassembling bosses 2 e and support-mounting bosses 3 h are heated andmelted at the same time, to weld the bosses to the peripheral edges ofthe respective mounting holes 3 e and 4 f to 4 h. In this manner, thedefroster nozzle 1 is fabricated.

[0025] The assembling bosses 2 e formed on the flanges 2 d of thedefroster nozzle front member 2 are oriented in the same direction asthe support-mounting bosses 3 h formed on the upper wall 3 a of thedefroster nozzle rear member 3. Accordingly, the defroster nozzle frontand rear members 2 and 3 and the defroster nozzle supporting member 4can be assembled with ease. Also, a welding machine used for joining themembers may have a simple construction, and the welding requires only asimple operation, thus enhancing the work efficiency. Further, since thedefroster nozzle supporting member 4 and the defroster nozzle front andrear members 2 and 3 are molded at the same time and also are weldedtogether at the same time, man-hour can be cut down and themanufacturing and tooling costs can be minimized.

[0026] The defroster nozzle 1 is arranged inside the instrument panel 6,as shown in FIG. 2. At this time, the inlet of the air duct 5 isconnected to an air outlet of the air conditioner. Also, the defrosternozzle 1 is positioned such that the front defroster nozzles 5 a, 5 aeach open into an opening 6 c of the instrument panel 6 and are situatedinside a windshield 7 close to the bottom thereof, and that the sidedefroster nozzles 5 b, 5 b are directed toward the windows of respectivefront doors (not shown).

[0027] The instrument panel 6 is a wide type, for example, and issupported at its front portion by deck brackets, supported at its rearportion by brackets connected to the deck brackets, and supported at itsboth sides by front pillars (none of the brackets and pillars areshown). Recesses 6 b are formed in the inside surface of the centralportion 6 a at locations corresponding to the upper surfaces 4 d of therespective supports 4 a of the defroster nozzle supporting member 4. Theupper surfaces 4 d of the supports 4 a of the defroster nozzlesupporting member 4 abut against the respective recesses 6 b and supportthe central portion 6 a from below. The supports 4 a are box-shaped andthus have increased rigidity and also the upper surfaces 4 d have alarge area, as mentioned above. Accordingly, the inside surface 6 b ofthe central portion of the instrument panel 6 can be securely supportedon the surface with a large contact area. This structure impartssufficient rigidity to the central portion of the top of the wide typeinstrument panel 6 and thus can effectively prevent the top of theinstrument panel from being bent or warped.

[0028] In the foregoing embodiment, the defroster nozzle supportingmember 4 is provided with a pair of supports 4 a. The number of supports4 a is, however, not limited to two, and a single or three or moresupports 4 a may be provided instead.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structure for supporting an instrument panel,comprising: a defroster nozzle arranged inside the instrument panel; anda supporting member disposed on an upper wall of said defroster nozzleand contacts with the instrument panel on the surface one another tosupport the instrument panel.
 2. The structure according to claim 1,wherein said supporting member includes at least one support having arectangular external form and formed separately from said defrosternozzle.
 3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein said support isshaped like a box opening downward and having a bottom at an upper endthereof, the bottom being disposed in contact with the instrument panelon the surface one another.
 4. The structure according to claim 2,wherein said defroster nozzle is bifurcated right and left along a widthdirection of a motor vehicle, and said support is arranged on each ofthe bifurcated right and left portions of said defroster nozzle.
 5. Thestructure according to claim 3, wherein said supporting member has aplurality of mounting holes, the upper wall of said defroster nozzle hassupport-mounting bosses respectively inserted into the mounting holes,and said supporting member is joined to said defroster nozzle by heatingand melting the support-mounting bosses.
 6. The structure according toclaim 5, wherein said defroster nozzle includes a defroster nozzle frontmember having a front wall and a lower wall continuous with the frontwall, and a defroster nozzle rear member having an upper wall and sidewalls continuous with the upper wall, the defroster nozzle front memberand the defroster nozzle rear member being assembled to form an airduct, the defroster nozzle front member and the defroster nozzle rearmember have flanges protruding from peripheral edges thereof,respectively, and constituting joint faces, the flanges of one of thedefroster nozzle front and rear members have a plurality of assemblingbosses formed thereon, the flanges of the other of the defroster nozzlefront and rear members have a plurality of mounting holes formed thereinfor receiving the respective assembling bosses, and the defroster nozzlefront and rear members are joined together by heating and melting theassembling bosses at the same time that the support-mounting bosses areheated and melted.
 7. The structure according to claim 5, wherein atleast one of said plurality of mounting holes of said supporting memberserves also as positioning means.
 8. The structure according to claim 6,wherein said defroster nozzle front member, said defroster nozzle rearmember and said supporting member are formed simultaneously by means ofa single mold.
 9. The structure according to claim 6, wherein theassembling bosses formed on the flanges of said defroster nozzle frontor rear member are oriented in a direction identical with that of thesupport-mounting bosses formed on the upper wall of said defrosternozzle.